Floating digital signage is another form of digital out-of-home (DooH), and has been around for a few years now, but it’s proving to be more polarizing than popular. Instead of planes towing banners across the sky – a form of advertising beachgoers have grudgingly tolerated for decades – companies are using boats carrying LED billboards along coastlines and popular waterfronts. On social media, especially, the continued response has been swift, loud, and overwhelmingly negative.
Critics argue that floating DooH turns serene shorelines into commercial zones, cluttering natural views with blinking ads. The backlash in New York City was so strong that lawmakers moved quickly to ban the practice, citing not only aesthetics but also environmental and navigational concerns.
I saw one of these floating billboards in the Caribbean a few years back, and it was as out of place as critics suggest. Against turquoise waters and palm-lined beaches, a glowing LED ad felt jarring and awkward, more eyesore and intrusion than innovation. Give me a flying Coppertone ad over this any time. Beyond that, there’s the practical question of visibility. Unlike a high-brightness display on a city street, digital signage on the water faces unique challenges. The intense sun on tropical beaches – like the one I was on – can easily wash out screens, making the message hard to read. Even the best high-nit displays struggle against direct sunlight bouncing off waves.
DooH is a wonderful and practical medium in numerous settings, but when the medium intrudes on open water, it crosses into unwelcome territory. After all, beaches are places where people go to disconnect, not be bombarded by marketing messages they can’t escape.
Floating digital signage may have been conceived as a creative way to capture attention. Still, it seems destined to sink under the weight of public disapproval and the harsh reality of blazing sunlight overpowering screens.